Sunday June 24th set out at ½ after six continuing the course on the Lard. side N. 80 E ¼ of a mile to point Lard. N. 55¼ of a mile to point Lard. Due west to a point Stard 3 miles good water[1]

(I [Clark] joined the Boat theis morning with a fat Bear & two Deer, last evining I Struck the river about 6 miles (by land) abov the Boat, and finding it too late to get to the Boat, and the wind blowing So hard Down the river that She could not assend, I concluded to Camp, altho I had nothing but my hunting Dress, & the Musquitors Ticks & Knats verry troublesom, I concld to hunt on a Willow Isd. Situated close under the Shore, in Crossing from an Island, I got mired, and was obliged to Craul out, a disegreeable Situation & a Diverting one of any one who Could have Seen me after I got out, all Covered with mud, I went my Camp & [s]Craped off the Mud and washed my Clothes, and fired off my gun which was answered by George Drewyer who was in persute of me & came up at Dark we feasted of meet & water the latter we made great use of being much fatigued & thirsty— The meet which hung up near the water 〈attracted〉 a large Snake made Several attempts to get to it and was so Detirmined that I Killed him in his attempt, the Snake appeared to make to that part of the meet which Contained the milk of a Doe,[2] On this part of the River I observe great quantites of Bear Sign, they are after Mulbiries which are in great quantities)

N 85 d W. 4½ ms. to a pt. on L Side, Came to above the mouth of a Creek on the L. S. abt. 20 yds. Wide Called Hay Cabbin Creek[3] Latd. of this place is 38° 37' 5" North— Capt. Lewis took Sergt. Floyd and walked on Shore, George Drewyer Killed 2 Deer R Fields Killed a Deer dureing the time we wer Jurking the meet I brought in, West ½ ml. along the L. S.

S 21° W. 3 ms. to a pt. on the S. S. pass 2 Creek on the S. S. just above Some rocks Some distance from Shore 1 of These Creek is Called Sharriton-Cartie,[4] a Prarie on the L. S. near the river. Capt Lewis Killed a Deer, & Collins 3. 〈Drewer 2 to day〉 emince number of Deer on both Sides of the river, we pass between two Sand bars at head of which we had to raise the boat 8 Inch to get her over, Camped at the Lower point of a Isd. on the L S.[5] the Party in high Spirits.

[Clark]

24th, June Sunday Set out at half after Six. I joined the boat this morng at 8 oClock (I will only remark that dureing the time I lay on the band [bank] waiting for the boat, a large Snake Swam to the bank imediately under the Deer which was hanging over the water, and no great distance from it, I threw chunks and drove this Snake off Several times. I found that he was So determined on getting to the meet I was Compelld to Kill him, the part of the Deer which attracted this Snake I think was the milk from the bag of the Doe.) I observed great quts. of Bear Signs, where they had passed in all Directions thro the bottoms in Serch of Mulberries, which were in great numbers in all the bottoms thro which our party passed.)

Passed the mouth of a Creek 20 yds. wide name [NB: named] Hay Cabbin Creek from camps of Straw built on it

came to about ½ me. above this Creek & jurked, the meet killed yesterday and this morning 〈took〉 Lattitude of this place 38° 37' 5" N. Capt. Lewis walked on Shore & Killed a Deer, pass a bad part of the river, on the S. S. the rocks projected into the river Some distance, a Creek above Called Shariston Carta, in the evening we Passed thro: between two Sand bars at the head we had to raise the Boat 8 Inches to get her over, Camped 〈at〉 near the lower point of an Island on the L. Side, party in high Spirrits. The Countrey on each Side of the river is fine interspersed with Praries, in which imence herds of Deer is Seen, on the banks of the river we observe numbers of Deer watering and feeing on the young willow, Several Killed to day

On the Starboard shore, about ½ a mile above the mouth of hay-cabbin creek.

Observed meridian altd. of 's L. L. with octant by the back obsert. 36° 13' —"

[Ordway]

Sunday June 24th 1804. we set out at 6 O.C. a fair day passed a Creek
on the South Side Called the Creek of the Hay Cabbins. Capt. Clark Came to the Boat this morning with a fat Bear. we Delayed at noon a Short time 〈long〉 [one word illegible, crossed out] to Jurk & take care of it. high hills on the South Side of the River near Sd. Creek. the land is Rich & well Timbered on both Sides of the River. Gege Drewyer killed 2 Deer [several words illegible, crossed out] and R. Fields killed one Deer while we Stoped. we passed a Creek on the North Side little above Some Rocks. Called Sharriton Cartie Creek.[7] a prarie on the South Side. Capt Lewis killed a Deer & Turkey we Camped on the South Side of the River. Collins killed 3 Deer in the course of this Day.

[Floyd]

Sunday June 24th 1804 Set out 〈erley〉 at 5 oclock A.m. wind from the N. E. Sailed Day Clear passed a Creek on the South Side Called Hay Creek it is about 40 yards wide Clear water Land High and Good well timberd Delayed 2 ouers to Dry some meat Capt. Lewis [WC: & my self] went hunting Kild one Deer [WC: & a Turkey] passed a Creek on the North Side Called Charriton Creek [8] it is about 30 yards wide passed a Creek on the Same Side Called the Creek of the Bad Rock it is not far below the other it is about 15 yards wide the Land is High and well timberd ouer Hununters Killed 8 Deer water Good made 13 miles encamped on the South Side the Land is Good first Rate Land, [WC: On this pt. of the River we observe feeding on the Banks & the adjasent 〈Monday〉 Praries— imince Hurds of Deer, Bear is also plenty in the bottoms.]

[Gass]

Sunday 24th. We had a fine morning, embarked at five and pursued our voyage: at nine Captain Clarke came to us and brought with him two deer and a bear. We passed a creek on the south side called Depie.[9] At 12 we stopped to jirk our meat,[10] and again proceeded at two; passed a creek[11] on the north side and encamped on the south bank of the river.

[Whitehouse]

Sunday 24 Got on Our way at [blank] and Crossd. the River to the west Shore at 12 oclock we Stopd to Girk our meat on account of the weather being [so?] warm, passd the River Calld the Straw Hill,[12] On the west Side 〈the Lan〉 Runing N. E. by E high land On Each Side of the River, N[o] Indians has Apeard On our Rout Yet the hunters Killd 8 deer one of which from a board the white peerouge on her way Roed 13 Miles Incampd at hard Scrable perara[13]

Sunday June 24th We embarked early this morning and crossed the River to the So West shore, at 12 oClock A. M. we stopped to Jerk our meat, the weather being so warm that we were afraid it would spoil, at 3 o'Clock
P. M. we got under way, and passed a River called the Straw Hill river, lying on the So West side of the Mesouri. This River runs North East by East The land on both sides of this River lying very high.—

We met with no Indians as yet on our rout, excepting those in the Canoe near Charette our hunters returned to us in the evening with 8 deer they had kill'd this day. We encamped at a Priari called hard scrabble Priari, we having Rowed 13 Miles this day.—

1. The first portion of this entry in the Field Notes is in Lewis's hand; Clark resumes thereafter. (Return to text.)

2. Clark seems to allude here to the folk belief the "milk snake," which reportedly sucks the milk from cows' udders. (Return to text.)

3. The Little Blue River, in Jackson County, Missouri. Nicollet gives it both the name Clark uses and the present one. Clark's name, as he notes in the Codex A entry, derives from some form of grass hut or shelter, built on the stream by Indians or others. Nicollet (MMR), 366; MRC map 13. (Return to text.)

4. Apparently Clark's rendering of Charretins écartés, which can be interpreted to mean either a stream called Charretin that is some distance from another of the same name (Chariton River, passed on June 10), or two streams called Charretin that are joined at the mouth but separated just above. The latter description would fit Big Shoal Creek and Little Shoal Creek, in Clay County, Missouri, which join a little above where the former meets the Missouri. The other of the two creeks mentioned might be Rush Creek, downstream from Big Shoal Creek. Coues (HLC), 1:31 n. 66; Osgood (FN), 61 n. 7; MRC map 14; MRM map 40. (Return to text.)

5. In Jackson County, above Missouri City. There may have been various changes in the river since 1804, but a large nameless island appears in Nicollet (MMR), 366 (1839) and MRC map 14 (ca. 1892) in about the right place to be the one near whose lower point the camp was located. (Return to text.)

8. Perhaps Rush Creek, Clay County, but its order with the next stream mentioned may
be reversed. (Return to text.)

9. Only Gass uses this name, perhaps from the French de paille, "of straw"; it is the Hay, or Hay Cabin, Creek of Clark and other journal keepers, now Little Blue River, Jackson County, Missouri. (Return to text.)

10. McKeehan's note: "Jirk is meat cut into small pieces and dried in the sun or by a fire.
The Indians cure and preserve their meat in this way without salt." (Return to text.)

12. Another version of Hay, or Hay Cabin, Creek, now Little Blue River, Jackson County,
Missouri. (Return to text.)

13. The camp was in Jackson County, above Missouri City; only Whitehouse gives this name
for the location. "Hardscrabble" means a hard struggle, or scramble, for existence; it was used
to describe poor farm land, as a "hardscrabble farm," but Floyd describes the area as "Good
first Rate Land." (Return to text.)